Ely College
Friday noon [28th June 1816]
My Lord
The concluding scene has passed, with a [illegible] & impressive solemnity. Many of my brother magistrates, with the principal Inhabitants of the Isle preceded the ceremonial on horseback with white wands; and having a numerous band of Peace Officers Sir John Byng thought with me that it [would] be better that the execution should take place without any appearance of military [among]: but the troops were properly stationed so that immediate access might have been had. The behaviour of the Sufferers has been contrite every one of them acknowledging the Justice of their sentence.—
Your Lordships intention of removing the other convicts from hence has given great satisfaction to the Inhabitants of the City—
The friends of the Sufferers having sent Coffins to the Gaol to remove the bodies for internment with great parade, on Sunday at Littleport, we have thought it our duty to direct the internment to be here in the parish where they died, to prevent the dangerous assembly of the Fen People [that] [would] otherwise take place.
May I request the favor of your Lordship to attend one of your Servants to deliver a small packet to the person to whom it is addressed who will call for it
I have [etc]
Dudley
[To: Lord Sidmouth]
This letter can be found at HO 42/151.
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